NCJ Number
68627
Journal
Archiwum Kryminologii Volume: 7 Dated: (1976) Pages: 287-328
Date Published
1976
Length
42 pages
Annotation
DATA FROM POLICE RECORDS ON THE NUMBER AND TYPE OF OFFENSES COMMITTED IN POLAND FROM 1970 TO 1974 AND ON CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFENDERS ARE PRESENTED AND COMPARED WITH THE DATA FOR THE YEARS 1965 TO 1969.
Abstract
THE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES THAT TOOK PLACE IN 1970 AND 1972 ALTERING THE DEFINITION OF PETTY OFFENSES MADE THE COMPARISON DIFFICULT. THE NUMBER OF OFFENSES DIMISHED: BETWEEN 1970 AND 1974 THE YEARLY AVERAGE WAS 481,000, COMPARED TO 521,000 FOR THE YEARS 1965 TO 1969. OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY ALSO SHOWED A DIMISHING TREND, WITH THE YEARLY AVERAGE FOR 1967 TO 1969 AS 165,467 AND 124,165 FOR THE YEARS 1972 TO 1973. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS OBSERVED FOR VIOLENT OFFENSES BETWEEN TE TWO PERIODS. CHANGES IN THE AGE OF THE OFFENDERS WERE OBSERVED: 15.4 PERCENT OF OFFENDERS WERE LESS THAN 17 YEARS OLD BETWEEN 1965 AND 1966, DECREASING TO 13.2 PERCENT BETWEEN 1970 AND 1971. THE PERCENTAGE OF OFFENDERS 17 TO 24 YEARS OLD INCREASED FROM 20.4 BETWEEN 1965 AND 1966 TO 28.1 BETWEEN 1970 AND 1971. THE GROWTH OF THE POSTWAR BABY BOOM WAS THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THIS CHANGE. EXTENSIVE TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED.